Butterfly Observations

In kindergarten, the big idea is learning how to observe patterns and changes through the life cycle of a butterfly. Students view the changing four stages through careful observation of painted lady butterflies in their classrooms starting at the egg stage. They draw and record their noticings for each stage digitally in SeeSaw and in their butterfly journals. When the egg has hatched, kindergarten students record what they see and create fingerprint pattern caterpillars. They engage in higher level thinking when they compare and contrast the monarch and painted lady butterflies at each stage. The learning continues after the fair when students apply what they learned about observation, patterns, and life cycle changes to trees, pumpkins, and other living things.